U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu is offering her support to residents of Shreveport's MLK neighborhood who are protesting Harrelson Materials Management's Russell Road landfill.

Landrieu's Shreveport office confirmed Wednesday that she sent a letter to Shreveporter Phebe Edwards and to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding the landfill, which has been the site of an underground fires.

In the brief letter, which Edwards sent to MLK residents and the media, Landrieu offers her condolences to MLK residents for their experiences living near the landfill and says she has requested more information about the matter from the EPA.

Matt Lehner, Landrieu's press secretary, said the senator became aware of the issue when a constituent wrote to her.

Edwards could not be reached for comment for this story. However, in a email sent along with the letter earlier in the day, she commended the senator for giving the matter her attention.

"I look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship with Sen. Landrieu as we move forward in addressing the HMM situation and all of the matters that are relevant and of concern to the MLK 71107 area of Shreveport," Edwards wrote.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has said that the landfill's owner, Michael Harrelson, opted not to renew his construction and demolition permit once it expires in October. Sam Phillips, the DEQ employee who promised MLK residents that the closure and mitigation plans would be approved last week, no longer is with the state agency, DEQ press secretary Gregory Langley said in a telephone interview. The landfill's closure and mitigation plans still are under review, Langley added.

Phillips' promise came a week after Sen. Greg Tarver hosted a forum July 24 about the landfill. Phillips, who served as an assistant secretary, stopped working for DEQ to pursue other opportunities the day after Tarver's meeting, Langley said in response to a follow-up email. Phillips' departure was unrelated to the public forum, Langley added.

"The promise he made was made on behalf of DEQ. The agency is committed to following through on that promise and to doing it right," Langley replied. "If it takes us a week longer to do it right, then we will take that time. We are working on it right now."

Langley said he does not have a time frame for when the plans will be approved.

Meantime, DEQ announced Wednesday that Tegan Treadaway, who worked under Phillips as an administrator of air permits, will take his place.